The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-01-22
THE COMING ROAD.
The Colorado Midland-The Army
3D. at Work.

Some time during the fall of the pres
emf wear the Colorado Midland Railway
which forces It's way through the oack-
bone of The Rocky Mountains, will be
completed an. placed in operation; and
with it Denver aud the cities OF the east
be put in direct communication with
the more remote points. The opening
of the road is looked forward TO IS an
event in the history of the State, par
ticularly by the people of Aspen, Glen
wood Springs and other places which,
though BILE to maintain railway facill-
ties, nave hal ~ depend Oh tie more
primitive stages and pack hur es rs
means OF transportation. This lack OF
ADEQUATE facilities has been an element
in rctarding the growth of these places,
and the rich mining properties of tina
\ section have suffered in consequence.
That the promoters of the new railway
have confidence in the future of the
western S, ction of the State Is deInun-
strstPd BY The capital nenlnd II. This
amountS to 81, 500 OUU ana the stock has
| already been taken 50 that the road Is
practically paid for, and tne bonded in
debtedHess OF tiff there be anY-Sin
be small.
THE WORK IN THE MOUNTAINS.
The work of grading, tunneling and
laying of track and building bridges is
progressing rapidly, and Manager of
the Construction b. D. Fisher and Chief
Engineer w. II. WIgglesworth. who are
at the Windsor, are confident that it
! will be completed during the present
year. To NeWs reporter who called on
them last night. these gentlemen fur
nished some detailed information of the
/ road and its prospects. The road I'M
der construction will aggregate about
$50 miles in length, extending from
Colorado Springs to Elk Creek, and
touching at Leadville, Aspen and 81, n
| wood Springs. Neither of the last two
places have ever had railway connec-
lions, and to them the benefits will be
the most advantageous. The principal
work now being performed is in grad
ing. The grades constructed are about
fourteen feet in width, and. give ample
room for the four foot eight and half
steel track which is being laid. Some
very deep cuts have been necessary TO
reach the grade, and in many i'll
stances through solid beds of rock.
Cuts have been made ninety feet,
but Chief Engineer ,Wigglesworth
states that the practice has been to tuu-
mel through beds over forty-fiye or fifty
feet. 1t has been necessary at times to
construct tunnels to save distance.
There will be about thirteen tunnels on
the line of The road, the greater number
of which are short. There is one, how
ever, which will traverse 2,00o feet un-
der the mountains. This il west of
LeadviIle. About one half of the route
laid out has been graded, and as soon
as the bridge at the Iron Springs near
Maniton has been completed, the work
will be greatly facilitated and expedited.
THE ARMY oE woRKNRN,
A force of over 900 men is employed
at present in cutting, grading, setting
ties, laying rails, and in the construc-
ton of bridges and tunnels, and the
weather has favored the WORK. The
forces have been employed constantly
and have every facility to aid them in
the thorough construction of the road
These forces are scattered all through
the mountains in camps and operate
like an army under the systematic di-
rection of competent managers. They
employ every implement of mechanical
construction than can be of service. The
road will be q substantial one and every
care has been taken In this respect il
the construction of the bridges, tunnels
and construction of a road bed. The
bridges ale iron on solid masonry, and
the structure over Ruxbury creek will
be $50 feet in length.
THE ROADS TERRITORY.
The new road will have territory
peculiarly its own, and in addition to
shortening distances between points
already reached by other lines, will
enter country, which for the first
time, as stated, Will have railway ia
cilities. The distance from Denver 10
Leadville will pc shortened about
seventy or seventy five miles. and will
consequently reduce the time of passage
four or FIVE hours. When ii leaves
LeadYille the road enters new country
and opens up section prolific In min
ing properties, coal and some iron de
posts. One of the most important fea-
lures in connection with the coal de-
posts resched by the road, is that
there are innumerable cokins coal de-
posts, and this will make possible new
and important industry. The value OF
this coking coal, of which there is little
accessible at present. is recognized by
merchants and business men. There
are also valuable silver Rines in the
territory OF the road. which with ade-
quate means of transportation. can be
worked at a profit. The people of Aspen
and Glenwood Springs and the conta-
gious territory anticipate boom which
will eclipse the Lesdville squirt and
while the mining authorities of those
sections are not so enthusiastic, they
appreciate the advantage of good
freight cars and steam transportation
over wagons and beasts. Beside the
coal belts and mineral deposits, the
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